In recent days, foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop has attempted to defuse relations between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull. Transpacific literacy academics may be able to help her, diplomatically. Unlike their nation’s leaders, they’ve found common ...
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Academics and government spar over sugar tax
It sure is a sticky issue: in the wake of two recent reports advocating for the imposition of a sugar tax, Liberal frontbenchers have reaffirmed their opposition to the proposed levy. At a doorstop interview in Tasmania on Tuesday 21 ...
More »No Jab, No Pay unproductive: paper
“We’re extremely strong advocates for vaccination … and we both recognise that vaccine rejection is an ongoing problem in Australia … and there’s actually very limited evidence on the best way to address vaccine rejection.” Dr Margie Danchin of the ...
More »Top model also a role model for intersex kids
Belgian model Hanne Gaby Odiele is a rangy 178 centimetres tall. Mousey-blonde haired and milky-skinned, she has an impish, slightly androgynous look. As well as strutting catwalks, Odiele is helping break a taboo by recently declaring herself as intersex. Odiele ...
More »Mum’s depression different to other types
Do you know a new mum who’s got the blues? Though her symptoms – like withdrawal, loss of appetite and irritability – may seem similar to typical depression, a new study has shown they might in fact be different. Researchers ...
More »Kids a priority for lobby against alcohol abuse
“Nothing good happens after midnight.” Michael Thorn, chief executive of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE), drops this aphorism in a conversation about lockout laws. The erosion of lockout laws, and how it affects the wellbeing of children, ...
More »‘Autism epidemic’ driven by doctors diagnosing kids with mild symptoms
The so-called autism epidemic is being driven by doctors diagnosing more children with less severe symptoms, researchers say, not by more children being born with the condition. A study published in Autism Research, titled Evidence of a reduction over time ...
More »Youngest in class more likely to be medicated for ADHD
Researchers have found that the youngest children in classrooms are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD as their older peers, raising concerns that kids are being medicated with amphetamine-based drugs for age-related immaturity. The study found that among ...
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